Caught on tape: Smoke stack demolition goes wrong

(CBS)-- Authorities in Springfield said an Ohio Edison Power stack may have fallen the wrong way during a demolition early Wednesday afternoon.

The demolition of the tower has been planned for months. However, when the smoke stack came down, there are reports that the tower fell on a generator, causing power to be cut to as many as 3,500 customers.

At this time, there are no reports of any injuries.

According to our partners at the Springfield News Sun, at one time it was one of the largest power plants in the country. The 51,000 square-foot-structure was built in 1927 and generated power to customers as far away as Marysville.

Some debris from the demolition such as bricks will be used to fill in the basement of the plant and then later grated over to make the site look as normal as possible, said FirstEnergy Corp. spokesman Mark Durbin.

Operations at the plant ceased in 1981 and it has been idle since then, Durbin said.

A few generating units and a substation will be left on the 45-acre site to produce electricity if needed.